Grande Prairie Centaurs hosting two semifinal games at Macklin Field this Saturday afternoon

Grande Prairie Centaurs Head Coach Gus Fai in Edmonton Rugby Union action at Macklin Field last July. The Centaurs are hosting two ERU semifinal games at Macklin Field on Saturday afternoon. The Division 3 squad will face LA Crude at 2 p.m. while the Division 2 team matchup with Edmonton Clansmen at 4 p.m.File Photo / Daily Herald Tribune

The Grande Prairie Centaurs open up the Edmonton Rugby Union (ERU) Division 2 semifinal with a home date against the Edmonton Clansmen at Macklin Field on Saturday afternoon. Game time is 4 p.m.

“We’ve been strong and consistent the whole year,” Centaurs Captain Tyson Gejdos said. “But if you’re looking at the big picture—or want to get specific game to game then, yeah, it’s nice waking up in your own house and having breakfast and a normal routine. I think we have the best fans in the ERU. So, when we start playing good, and those folks on the sideline like what they see, it’s nice to hear them and it gives you more energy.”

The Centaurs and Clansmen played twice during the regular season with the locals winning both games. The Centaurs picked up a 39-12 home win back on the opening day of June and a 26-12 victory last weekend in Edmonton.

“They are a tough club to play against,” Gejdos said of the Clansmen. “They have depth and they travel well. The games have been really close, they felt closer than the scores have shown. They have a strong defensive line and are physical on attack. We know they’re going to come up in full force and want nothing more than to play spoiler.”

Same old, same old

Over at the practice field nothing has changed for the club. They’re well aware the season will come crashing down with a loss on Saturday but their confidence comes from the assurance—knowing if they continue to play with confidence and pace—then a victory would be the expected outcome.

“It’s been our mind set all year to be in this spot (while) preparing for the playoffs,” Gejdos said. “In our minds, we have three games left to pay and the season isn’t finished until then.”

Doubling up

The Centaurs Division 3 team open up the ERU post-season with a semifinal game against LA Crude at Macklin Field on Saturday afternoon. Game time is set for 2 p.m.

What a journey it’s been for the Division 3 squad and Kiwi Head Coach Gus Fai.

Last season, Fai made the decision to shelf the third-tier team because of a numbers problem at the rugby club, meaning they didn’t have enough players to play in both tiers. Fai made the decision to shelf the thirds in favour of the second division team. Turned out the decision was the proper one as the squad made the ERU final but it was always Fai’s wish to bring back the division three program.

Back in the spring Fai held the ERU at arms length until the last possible moment—no doubt on a recruiting drive—to declare his intention to field two teams this season.

And look what happened. The club finished second in the ERU standings with five wins from seven games—hosting a home playoff game. Incidentally, it’s the first time in the history of Grande Prairie Rugby both teams are hosting a home playoff game.

“We’ve got a really good atmosphere with the guys we have with the club and at the training,” Fai said when asked why the club was successful this season. “We’ve got some guys that come and just train, they come and train and whenever they feel comfortable (they try to play the Division 3 games). We have a couple in that situation, we’ve got a couple of young guys straight out of high school. It’s not forcing (anything). It’s making them feel welcome at the club, ready to play on their time.”

Excuse the rhyme, but Fai is a hard-charging guy. The head coach pushes the seconds but he pulls back his expectations of the thirds.

“That’s always the way I’ve thought about our division three team,” Fai said. “(That team is about) development. The division two is where you want to go a bit harder. (We say with the thirds), ‘Come give it a go, you don’t have to train and play. Come and try it out and if you like it “cool” and if you don’t, that’s alright.’”